Kim Stanley Robinson is one of the bravest science fiction writers in the world. Why do I say this? Well, most sf is set in the future, but if you set your story 500 years in the future, it’s not likely you’ll ever know how far from the truth you were. Robinson set this story less than 15 years in the future. You do that, and within a year, there will be people pointing out what you got wrong. No problem, it’s fiction, you say. What Robinson has created here is a projection and a visualization of a world that is tackling climate change head on and meeting the challenge. If you want that future, and you have trouble picturing what it might look like, read this book. Robinson won’t make it easy on you. You’re going to need to learn concepts ranging from quantitative easing to wet-bulb temperatures and pebble swarm drone attacks, but it’s worth the effort. Robinson always is. Speaking of drone swarms—we’re starting to see something like what Robinson describes being extremely effective in the war in Ukraine. So far, his projections are earily accurate.
Review from The Ministry for the Future →